Chinese 'highway house' is demolished

•3 December 2012

A five-storey house, which was marooned in the middle of a new road in China for more than a year because its owner refused to leave, has finally been demolished. The road, in China's eastern Zhejiang province, was built around the house because duck farmer Luo Baogen was holding out for more compensation, reports the BBC. Luo, 67, said he had just finished the home at a cost of 95,000 dollars and had been offered only 35,000 dollars to move. Officials said Luo and his wife had accepted a new compensation offer of 41,000 dollars, and moved to a relocation area with the help of relatives on Saturday morning. The house had earned the nickname "nail house" because, like a stubborn nail, it was difficult to move. "It was never a final solution for us to live in a lone house in the middle of the road. After the government's explanations, I finally decided to move," Luo said. The road is a key infrastructure project - linking the city to a new railway station on the outskirts. Luo was the only owner of 459 households to reject the relocation plans.The case has highlighted what is a major cause of unrest in China, as huge infrastructure and real estate developments spark hundreds of thousands of re locations. Click here to watch video.(ANI)